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ADC Tag

Analog signals typically are not ADC friendly, but they can be with some relatively simple circuitry such as a low pass filter and amplifier. The goal is to have the analog signal cover the entire range of the ADC. For example, if your input goes from 0V to 1V and your ADC measures from 0V to 3V, you will need to amplify the input to take full advantage of the ADC. Voltage scaling seems easy enough but you also need to make sure the frequencies you are measuring are low enough for your sample rate which is where filtering comes in.

Operational amplifiers, or op-amps as they are affectionately known, are very useful when designing embedded systems and relatively easy-to-use. If you know just a few of the basics, you can design and analyze op-amps like a boss.

A filter is a useful tool for removing unwanted signals from a sensor measurement. There is complicated math behind how they work, but you just need to know a simple formula to use them in many embedded designs.

Thermistors are simple to integrate in embedded designs but their temperature
response can be challenging to interpret. A lookup table is a convenient way
to convert a thermistor’s ADC reading to temperature.